Chapter 4 Love Becomes Hate!

A few years later...

"Baby, Mommy can't go home now. But I'll try to come back as soon as possible. Now you should play first, okay? Mommy still in a meeting...."

Adeline hung up the phone call. Yes, Oliver Watson-her five-year-old son-often asked her to come home early.

However, Adeline could not comply with her little son's wishes. She had a lot of work to do. Like right now, she was in a meeting with her employees.

"Sorry, cut off. Let's continue our meeting." Adeline said to the employees in front of her.

"It's okay, Miss. We understand." One of the managers in the meeting room answered Adeline's words politely.

"Next month we have a project where one of our clients entrusts the building purchased from us to be built with a classic design. I need you to find the best new interior designer to work with us. Make sure the interior designer has good skills. The reason I'm asking you to find an interior designer is because I don't like the last interior designer." Adeline said in a low but firm tone.

"Yes, Miss. We understand." The marketing manager in the meeting room replied obediently to Adeline's words.

"Miss Adeline." Mary-Adeline's personal assistant rushed over to her.

"What are you running like that for, Mary?" Adeline looked at her assistant, who was walking hurriedly towards her. The look on Adeline's face was a little confused. Because Mary looked panicked.

"Miss ... I have something to tell you," Mary said quickly and implying panic.

"Tell me, what do you want to tell me?" Adeline's brow furrowed. Her eyes stared fixedly at her assistant, demanding that she explain herself immediately.

"The land you bought last month has a little problem. I just got word that it has been bought by a lawyer who intends to open a branch of his law firm in New York. Mr. Martin Jelly and Mr. Lucas Jelly are brothers. Mr. Martin sold the land to a lawyer while Mr. Lucas sold the land to you. The strategic location made the lawyer buy the land you had bought for double the price, Miss," Mary explained in a worried voice.

Adeline's face instantly changed when she heard Mary's words. Her pair of blue irises eyes looked so sharp that they contained anger. "How can that be! I've already paid half! There's no way they can act like that! Even if someone offers it at double the price, but the land is already mine!" she exclaimed in a high tone.

Mary scratched her head uncomfortably. She was still looking down, not daring to look at Adeline as she said. "I'm sorry, Miss. But I heard that the lawyer bought it on the same date as you, Miss. Now Mr. Martin and Mr. Lucas are meeting with the lawyer. They would like you to attend as well, Miss. This matter is quite complicated because Mr. Martin and Mr. Lucas's relationship is not good at all."

'Shit!' Adeline cursed inwardly. Yes, within five years, Adeline managed to build her own property company with her hard-earned money. Not only property business but Adeline also has an interior design business.

And precisely last month, Adeline just bought land with a strategic location to build her company. Given that Adeline's company is currently still leased. However, Adeline's plan did not go smoothly. There were problems that came into her life, like this time.

"Give me the address. I'll meet with them!" Adeline said with annoyance.

"O-okay, Miss. I'll send you the address immediately via text," replied Mary quickly.

Without another word, Adeline walked briskly out of the meeting room. The look on Adeline's face held back the emotions that were bottled up inside her.

***

Adeline slammed the car door violently as she got out of the car and stepped into the lobby of the company, where she would meet the landowner and the lawyer who had offered the double price.

Adeline's blue irises eyes were sharp. Even when someone greeted her, she ignored it all. It wasn't mean to be unfriendly, but she wanted to solve her problem immediately.

"Miss Adeline?" Lucas-one of the landowners, greeted Adeline politely as she entered the meeting room.

"I don't like small talk. Explain why this happened?" Adeline stepped into the meeting room, and she sat at the far end opposite Martin and Lucas.

Martin let out a long breath. "Miss Adeline, I apologize but I have sold the land to one of my acquaintances. I will transfer your payment today. This is purely my brother's fault for not informing me beforehand."

"How easy can you talk like that? I already paid for it one month ago. The repayment will be made tomorrow. But now you're saying it's your brother's fault for not telling you? I think you're the one who can't be professional!" Adeline exclaimed in a tone an octave higher.

"Miss, I apologize. That lawyer bought our land on the same day as you, Miss," said Lucas, apologizing this time.

Adeline growled with emotion. "Where is that lawyer! Now show me!"

"Are you looking for me?" A man in a navy-colored suit stepped into the meeting room. His cold face and pair of brown eyes looked sharp when anyone spoke about him.

Adeline turned her gaze to the source of the voice that had just entered. But ... suddenly, Adeline's heart seemed to want to stop when she saw the figure of the man standing in front of her.

That face. Those eyes. Everything was still the same. Nothing had changed. As if the earth stopped on its axis, Adeline's body almost staggered down. Luckily, she could still stand upright even though it had to be difficult.

"H-Hunter," Adeline murmured softly.

Yes, in front of Adeline was Hunter Bennett-the man she had been avoiding for years. For Adeline, Hunter was the deadliest poison in this world. He looked beautiful on the outside, but if you were around him, only death would come.

Hunter stayed where he was. His pair of sharp brown eyes caught Adeline's irises eyes. Silently, Hunter was surprised to see Adeline in front of him. It had been a long time since Hunter had seen Adeline.

The woman looked different. Her body was a little fuller than five years ago. Not denying that, Hunter considered Adeline like the incarnation of the devil who seduces men. Beautiful, sexy, and mesmerizing.

"So, you bought the land I wanted?" Hunter asked in a haughty tone.

Adeline smiled sarcastically. Her love for the man in front of her had been shrouded in hatred. "And you're the lawyer who bought the land I wanted? Listen to me, that land is mine. Don't even dream of taking that land! You just look for another one!"

"I already bought it for the double price, Miss. You lost to me. You'd better find another land," Hunter said coldly and sarcastically.

"Mr. Hunter? Do you know Miss Adeline?" asked Martin as he looked at Hunter seriously.

"No, I don't. I don't know him. A few years ago, I only ever wanted to use the services of his lawyer." Before Hunter could answer, Adeline had already answered Martin's question.

Hunter was silent when he heard Adeline's words. Apparently, the woman he knew back then had changed. The timid puppy had become a wild tiger. Just look at the way Adeline looked at him so sharply and filled with hatred. However, Hunter didn't care. The man was indifferent.

"Well, I don't think there's anything to discuss. It's quite clear that the land is mine," Hunter said with emphasis.

"Triples. I'll buy it for Triple the price. Hand over the land to me." Adeline said out loud and startling the landowner.

Hunter grinned as Adeline challenged him. "Great, that's a good offer. I'm used to participating in auctions. Alright. I bid at quadruple the price. Do you still dare to challenge me, Miss Adeline?"

"Quintuple." Adeline exclaimed. Her emotions were no longer contained as Hunter degraded her.

The cruel grin on Hunter's face was painted. "I close with a tenfold offer. Do you still dare to defy me?"

Adeline froze when Hunter dared to ask for ten times the price of the land. Her own hard-earned money couldn't possibly be that much. Even after being challenging five times, Adeline was still thinking of ways to pay for the land.

"You..." Adeline clenched her fists tightly. The resentment became more and more apparent to Hunter, who seemed to smile dismissively at her.

Hunter stepped forward. The man stared intently at Adeline, who looked angry.

The next second, Hunter brought his lips to Adeline's ear and whispered, "I always get whatever I want, Adeline. Don't ever fight me. Because you'll lose in the end."

Adeline smiled sarcastically. Adeline boldly brought her hand to stroke Hunter's jaw and hissed, "We'll see how far your arrogance goes, Hunter Bennett."

***